Fabric or cloth.



' tions, etc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-ALBERT H. HENDERSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE HENDER- SON RUBBER COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARY- ].atented Mar. 19, 1912.

LAND.

FABRIC OR CLOTH.

1,020,499. Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Application filed April 12, 1911.

To all whom it may comm-n:

Be it known that I, ALuun'r H. I'lENDl-IR- soN, a citizen of the limited States, residing at Baltimore, State {if Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fabrics or Cloths, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved fabric or cloth combining great strength and durability with extreme flexibility and adapted for use in the various arts, or more especiallyin the manufacture of inner tubes of automobile tires, invalid beds, cushions, seats, life preservers, and other articles de-' signed for relief, comfort or safety.

In carrying out my invention, in which rubber is an element, I employ in part the material known as mercerized under which term is included, generally speaking, a woven cloth or other fabric or textile body subjected to alkaline and acidulating processes and other treatment, as with glycerin, oil, etc., usually while in a state of tension, .the mercerizing liquid or agent being absorbed by the fiber and subsequently washed out preferably while the material is still distended. Of the results of this process, as variously conducted and modified, are the prevention of shrinkage, and the production of a firm and durable material of great strength and high luster.

My object in employing mercerized fabric is because it has many points of advan tage over unmercerized material. For example, on account of the chemical treatment to which it has been subjected, the mercerized fabric, While much strengthened, is made more'absorbe'nt than a similar fabric not mercerized, a fact of great importance to my invention in that the fiber is the more readily saturated with rubber solu- Furthermore, the mercerized fabric is more flexible, and may be thinner and lighter for a given strength and has greater durability and toughness than an unmercerized fabric. The increase 1n strength is from five to fifteen times, and

for this reason such mercerizedrmaterial is in extensive use in the various arts, for instance, in the manufacture of hosiery largely advertised for its elasticity and durability. Therefore it is apparent that such a material, having eat porosity at no'sacrifice of strength, anfliigh flexibility and toughness,

Serial No. 620,709.

is well adapted for saturation with rubber, and for the general purposes of my invention.

Natural cotton fiber consists of cellulosc filaments which are more or less coated with oil wax, gums, resin and impurities. Some of these gums and impurities may be removed by boiling in pure water, while resin and oil require for their removal .the use of an alkali or a volatile solvent. The use of alkali is the usual method in trade. The material, whether in the form of thread or a woven body, is almostinvariably treated in this manner in order to make the fiber more absorbent for dyeing and sizing purposes, and this process is, in a mild sense, a mcrcerizing treatment. Such treatment. however, is not suflicicnt for the purpose of my invention. Furthermore, cloth or thread under tension, in order to prevent shrinkage in length, has been treated with a concentrated solution of caustic soda, but this tension causes the threads to be drawn out to reduced diameter. In such mcrcerizing. an entirely new surface is created, for all the oil wax, gums, etc. are removed, leaving a porous fiber which offers the best possible surface and interior for treatment.

Another important feature of advantage in the use of mercerized fabric arises from the uniformity of its character which greatly increases its strength whether considered with respect to the individual fibers or to the weave as a whole. Again, the fibers being smaller than those not mercerized, a greater number of them can be put in the same space than is practicable with nnmercerized fibers. Hence the woven material necessarily offers a much greater fiber surface for the absorption of or incorporation or union with rubber, and this is true of the outside as well as of the inside of the fiber. In other words, applicant. has availed himself of the chemical change effected by mercerization whereby it is spe- -cially adapted to a coating or a more intimate incorporation with rubber, it having been found that the mercerized material and the rubber have a special ailinity for each other, and that the combination of the fabric with rubber produces an article of manu facture useful in the arts. I believe myself to have been the first to discover that such chemical change effected in a fabric by mercerization specially adapts it for. a coating, union or other incorporation'with rubber, which latter may be vulcanized at any stage during the bringing together ,of the two bodies orafter the unionhas been fully and finally efiected.

By the term mercerizing or as used herein is. meant an action upon the fabric or fibers whereby the oils, waxes and resins have been treated under the process usually known as mercerization. It will be understood that the interiors of the fibers are so prepared under this process that they offer a cylindrical receptacle for the rubber reaching such interiors, and that when such fibers are woven complete fabric the rubber is understood to fill the interstices" existing between the juxtaposed fibers. This penetration of the rubber to the interior of each individual fiber and the filling of the interstices existing between the fibers when constituting a weave is what I term the impregnation or saturation of the entire fabric with rubber So far as I am advised, such complete saturation of a mercerized fabric was never accomplished before my invention.

My invention difi'ers from such 'instances in which cloth has been coated with rubber, the latter being made adhesive by heat or otherwise and spread over and pressed upon the former outside of the cloth; or in which fabrics composed of fibrous strands have been coated with other fibrous and flexible bodies and adhesive and vulcanizable materials;-or,'in which inner inflatable rubber tubes have ing cover of canvas.

The first part of my invention consists in the method or process under which my improved material is made, and secondly in the material itself, and for convenience I will first describe the latter. Referring thereto, the invention relates'broadly to a mercerized fabric combined with rubber, which fabric may or may not be brought to tube shape in lengths and widths as desired. I may employ reverse weaving, that is to say, a weft on one surface the reverse of that on the other surface. v

The fabric'or cloth is first saturated with a solution of rubber, after which it is coated on one or both sides withrubbcr by the application of heat. The coating may, however, consist of a. cold liquid solution which will not only penetrate the fabric but cover the permeated article. If the fabric is formed as a. tube, it is coated on each side by being turned inside out by means known to the art and which need not be here described. Such a tube may be knitted in circular form from mercerized threads. The coating, when of a plastic nature, or capable of being spread, will consist .of rubber, or

rubber substitutes or reclaimed rubber which merccrization together to constitute abeen combined with asurround will unite or combine with the mercerized fabric or cloth, and the combination will be anade permanentby the application of heat or pressure in any manner known to the" rubber trade. v

e To increase its porosity in order that it may the better receive the india rubber, or a solution thereof, the fabric may be treated by an agent, preferably one miscible with either-nil or water either with or without heat, after which this swelling agent may be removed by a solvent such as petroleum benzin or coal tar naphtha, after which the solventmay be removed by suitable means, and the rubber in the form of a solution or that of a heated and fluid mass applied thereto.

water may be mentioned as effective for the Of agents miscible with oil or purpose ricin-oleic acid or any sulph-oleic acid made from any suitable oil and known to commence'as Turkey red oils.

further feature of my invention consists 1n comblning with a mercerlzed fabric or cloth thus treated layers or sheets of previously prepared rawhide permeated with rubber. mentary .or granular form has been expanded or swollen. by an agent preferably miscible with either 011 or water, and with or without heat, after which this swelling agent has been removed'as above stated, a drying action effected, and rubberintroduced to the interstices in the form of a solution or that of a heated and fluid mass. I therefore unite with the woven mercerized fabric treated and impregnated with rubber as above, sheets formed by the union by compression of fragmentary rawhide similarly treated and impregnated, the combination being effected under the influences of heat and pressure which shall cause the adhesion of the rubber in each of the two bodies, whereby a unified and solidified mass is-produced for purposes of'commerce. I prefer to use an agent misciblc with both oil and water, for where plain water is used for the purpose of increasing the porosity of the mercerized fabric or for swelling rawhide it is difficult to expel the water and replace it with either oil or rubber solutions, whereas by using a swelling agent miscible with either oil or water the displacement is more readily accomplished on account of the mutual solubilities. For example, when the water is removed by evaporation or heat the remaining oil is soluble in many rubber solvents which will allow an lnterchange of solutions of rubber and oil.

This rawhide when in either fragin combining such mercerized fabric or cloth thus rubber-impregnated or impregnated and coated, with rawhide suitably treated with rubber, all as hereinabove more particularly set forth.

In the practice of my invention I do not restrict myself to the amount of rubber applied to any specified body of fabric or body (if-rawhide; or to any specified relations as to quantityexisting between the fabric and the rawhide irrespective of the rubber.

It is to be understood that wherever rub ber is herein mentioned, and, especially in the claims, I wish to include rubber substitutes or reclaimed Y rubbers as equivalents thereof. Among the rubber substitutes is an important and growing class ,of compounds, artificial in character, while others are natural products. Furthermore with the rubber, however used, anyqof these substitutes or reclaimed rubbers, in smaller or larger quantities may be employed.

It is also to 'be understood that under either form of my invention the rubber may be vulcanized at any stage during the union of the several bodies or after the union has been accomplished. v

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. The herein described method of treating fabrics from which the oils, waxes and resins have been removed bymercerization, consisting in filling the interiors of the fibers and the'interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of rubber.

2. The herein described method of treating fabrics from which the oils, waxes and resins have been removed by mercerization,

consistin 1 in filling the interiors of the fibers an the interstices existing between a the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of rubher and thereafter coating the surfaces of such fabrics with rubber.

3. The herein described method'of treating fabrics from which the oils, waxes and resins have been'removed by mercerization, consisting in filling the interiors of the fibers and the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of rubber and thereafter coating the surfaces of such fabrics with rubber under the infiuences of heat and pressure.

4. The hereindescribed method of treat ingfabrics from which the oils, waxes and resinshave been removed by mercerization, consisting in filling the interiors of the fibers and the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of rubber, and vulcanizing the latter.

' 5. The herein described method of treating fabrics from which the oils, Waxes and resins have been removed by mercerization, consisting in filling the interiors of the fibers and the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of rubvber and thereafter coating the surfaces of the rubber.

7. The herein described method of treating tubular fabrics fronr which the oils, waxes and resins have been removed by mercerization, consisting in filling the interiors of the fibers and the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of rubber, and thereafter coating the interior and exterior surfaces of such tubular fabric with rubber.

8. The herein described method of treating a tubular fabric from which the oils, Waxes and resins have been removed by mercerization, consisting in filling the interiors of the fibers and the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of rubber, and thereafter coating the interijor and exterior surfaces of such tubular fabric with rubber underthe influences of heat and pressure.

9. The herein described method of treating tubular fabrics from which the oils, waxesand resins have been removed by mercerization, consisting in filling the interiors of the fibers and. the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of rubber, thereafter coating the interior and exterior surfaces of such tubular fabric .with rubber, and vulcanizing the latter.

10. The herein described method of treating a tubular fabric from which the oils, waxes and resins have been removed by mer cerization, consisting in filling the interiors of the fibers and the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers with a solution of" rubber, thereafter coating the interior and exterior surfaces of such tubular fabric with rubber under the influences of heat and pressure, and vulcanizing the rubber.

I 11. The herein described article of manufacture consisting in a fabric from which the OllS, waxes and resins have been removed by mercerization, and the interiors of the fibers of such fabric together with the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers thereof have been filled with a solution of rubber.

'12. The herein described article of manu- I stices existing between the juxtaposed fibers thereof have been filled with a solution of rubber, and the surfaces of such fabric have been coated. with rubber.

13. The herein described article of manufacture consist-ing of a fabric from which the oils, waxes and resins have been removed by mercerization, and the interiors of the fibers of such fabric together with the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibersthereof have been filled with a solution of rubber and the latter vulcanized.

14. The herein described article of manufacture consisting in a fabric from which the oils, waxes and resins have been removed by inercerization, the interiors of the fibers of such fabric together with the interstices existing between the. juxtaposed fibersthereof have been filled with a solution of rubber, and the surfaces of such fabrics have been coated with rubber and the latter has been Vulcanized; j

15. The herein described article of manufacture consisting of a tubular fabric from which the oils, waxes and resins have been removed bymercerization, the interiors of the fibers and the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers ofsuch. fabric have been filled with a solutionof rubber, and the interior and exterior surfaces of such fabric have been coated with. rubber.

16. The herein described article of manufactureconsisting of a tubular fabric from which the oils, waxes and resins have been removed by mercerization, the interiors of the fibers and the interstices existing between the juxtaposed fibers of such fabric have been filled with a solution of rubber,

the interior and exterior surfaces of such fabric have beencoated w th rubber, and

the latter has been vulcanized.

17. The herein described method consisting in combining a rubber treated mercerized fabric with a body formed of fragmentary granulated or macerated rawhide treated with rubber and unifying and solidifying the combined bodies. I

18. The herein described method consisting in combining a rubber treated mercerized fabric with a body formed of fragmentary granulated or macerated rawhide treated with rubber and unifying and solidifying'the combined bodies under the influences of heat and pressure 19. The herein described method consisting in treating mercerized fabric with an agent miscible with either oil or water and removing said agent'by a solvent,- drying the fabric, and thereafter combining it with rubber. a I

20. The herein described method consisting in coinbininga rubber treated mercerized fabric-with a body formed of fragmentary granular or macerated rawhide treated with rubber, unifying and solidifying the combined bodies under the influences of heat and pressure, and vulcanizing the rubber.

21. The herein described method consisting in combining a rubber treated mercer ized fabric with a body formed of fragmentary granulated or macerated rawhide treated with rubber, unifying and solidifying the combined bodies under the influences of heat and pressure, and vulcanizing the rubber.

22. The herein described article of manufacture consisting in a rubber treated mercerized fabric and a body of rubber treated fragmentary, granulated or macerated rawhide, the whole having been united or solidified under the influences of heat and pressure, and the rubber vulcanized.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT H. HENDERSON.

Witnesses C. B.'BULL, CHARLES LOWELL HOWARD. 

